Unto us a rosé is born

The final blend for the 2013 Massaya Rosé 2012 will be confirmed on January 31 in France.

But what was the process that saw the grape leave the vine and enter the bottle? What are the steps taken by Ramzi and Sami Ghosn and their French partners, Dominique Hébrard and Daniel and Frederic Brunier, to get there?

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to how Massaya rosé is born.

In August and September [of 2012], we harvested the Syrah, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon,” Ramzi told me. “On the same day, the grapes are crushed to obtain a mix of off white juice and red skin.”

Twelve hours later, the juice turns pink because of the contact with the red skin and is then separated and moved to another vat, where the fermentation begins by adding natural yeast. “The transformation of sugar into alcohol lasts between two to three weeks.”

The wine is then rested for natural racking, the process of separating the wine from the sediment. This also allows for aeration, which contributes to the quality of the wine.

“By mid-October, the vats samples are forwarded to our French partners for tasting and analysis.

Meanwhile, it is November, and back in the Bekaa, the wine is still undergoing racking, now at lower temperatures to accelerate process and one month later, Massaya’s owners partners conduct a thorough tasting at the winery to decide which vats to use.

January sees the blending program with different options and at the end of the month, a meeting is held in France to taste different options and reach a decision on the final blend. The wine then undergoes light filtration and bottling according to the moon phase – yes it makes a difference – to optimize flavors and aromas.